Tag Archives: attitude

I often wonder how you come up with the notion that you know me. Too many times you have said that I am like this or I am like that. You are only just seeing me but believe that you know what I am all about. Let me ask you this: Where were you:

When: I was a child of 18 months in the early 1960s and survived an infection of spinal meningitis…at a time when the mortality rate was much higher than today. Thankfully, I don’t remember it but apparently, I had to learn to walk all over. To this day, I can’t stand cold showers–I was told that I was placed in ice water to battle the fever. I have discolored and bad teeth attributed to the antibiotics used. I was truly blessed.

When: My parents divorced when I was four;

When: I met my new older sisters; and subsequently, my younger siblings through the years;

When: I was 9 or 10 — I was introduced to baseball, and I loved it; I was bitten on the finger by a garden snake while picking berries and suffered from acute appendicitis (not related to snake bite);

When: I was 11 and 12 — I used to lay in my bed with my transistor radio under my pillow, pretending to be asleep but really listening to the evening baseball games; I dreamed of playing ball like Carl Yastrzemski; I actually played baseball for a while but life took me in a different direction;

When: I first kissed a girl — on the lips; my first date; getting my driver license and driving my first car; and my first pickup truck with 3 on the column — it was missing 2nd gear;

When: I wrestled, boxed a little and competed in gymnastics for a year;

When: I enlisted in the Navy and left home; arriving at boot camp; whoa — major life change!

When: I arrived at the beach, at sundown, in San Diego, CA, on the 4th of July after driving cross-country to my first duty station;

When: I flew in a helicopter to an aircraft carrier; thinking all along there wasn’t enough deck for the helo;

When: I met and fell in love with my first wife;

When: I was at sea for months at a time — and later was divorced from my first wife;

When: Iranian Hostage Crisis;

When: I first used a keypunch machine (1977); a computer (1981); my first microwave oven (1986) right after the shuttle Challenger blew up; my first cell phone (1987); I was studying computer programming; and got my first personal computer (1989);

When: I visited numerous ports-of-call in many foreign countries being exposed to so many different cultures;

When: I met my second wife;

When: I was the third person in the world to hold my new born daughter;

When: at 18 months old, I rushed my daughter to the hospital because she had eaten her grandmother’s blood pressure pill–I drove on the sidewalk to bypass traffic; and, at her bedside, I prayed all night for her recovery — God blessed us;

When: I visited my mother, who had terminal cancer a few weeks before she died but because of “military operational commitments,” I could not be there when she passed but my brothers were with her;

When: Desert Shield and Desert Storm;

When: I got a second divorce; and lost custody of my daughter;

When: I didn’t get promoted, again — I retired from the Navy after 23 1/2 years’ of service;

When: A heart arterial catheter angiogram;

When: I was one of the last people to be with my former mother-in-law when she died — we had a rocky start but after her debilitating stroke, I read the Bible to her and we often prayed together in the last few months of her life; I held her hand for a couple of hours in the hospital room the day she died–shortly after I left the hospital;

When: I wandered, apparently aimlessly and selfishly, for several years; searching for “happiness;”

When: My first wife found me on the internet and after nearly 20 years we got back together; we’ve been together for 11 years now. She says she loves me…personally, I think she tolerates me; 😉

When: My first granddaughter was born; I think I was about the 5th or 6th person to hold her but I was there when she was born; there are now four grandchildren, two girls and two boys — the youngest is named after my dad and me;

When: My ex-wife unexpectedly died and I flew 3,000 miles to help comfort my daughter and two oldest grandchildren who knew her;

When: I or my wife were out of work for extended periods of time; since 2006

When: My mother-in-law had a stroke and came to live with us so we could help care for her; she is 87 now;

When: After nearly 40 years’ as an administrator, I learned to: publish ebooks, write a blog and build a solar battery bank by watching YouTube videos; It actually works the way it is supposed to– I’m stoked;

When: after many years of God’s prompting, I finally started ministry studies; its not easy to find time to study, after working all day, as an olderly guy and still be able to spend quality time with my wife — she’s very understanding;

When: that little boat has been sitting in my driveway for the past 2 years and hasn’t touched a lake yet, since I’ve had her…

These are snippets of my life — soooooooo much more has made the person I am today. Yet, you think you know me. You lie to me and tell lies about me; you steal from me; and, call me names when you think I don’t hear you. I wonder, what is it really?

I know that you don’t really know me, you couldn’t regardless of how you try to portray yourself, especially at your young ages–remember, I was younger once, too.

God has told us to love one another — he didn’t say, “no matter how difficult your fellow man makes it…”

Matthew 22:35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.38 This is the great and first commandment.39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

You probably don’t even realize that I pray for you daily but that’s okay. I pray that God will open your spirit, your heart and your mind to the salvation of Christ Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for all of us; who is the way to eternal life.

No, you don’t know me and I don’t really know you even though I’ve been where your are and I know — for many of us, there is freedom when we surrender to the will of God, in the name of Jesus — His only begotten Son.

How often have we thought ‘what a wonderful feeling it would be to ________ (fill in the blank)…’ the person who has caused us pain?

Who is it that has hurt you? Was it your dad, mom, sibling, other family member, the neighborhood or school bully, someone outside of your normal surroundings?

How deep is the wound? Were you devastated? Is the wound a gash or a paper cut? Did you think it was healed only to find out it only has a scab that you keep picking at?

Have you really tried to heal but there’s always something stuck in the back of your mind that you can’t shake it?

If you were a child and felt defenseless to the pain that was caused you and now you’re an adult you believe that you can not only defend yourself but you too can inflict some justified hurt in retaliation. Perhaps that person is in your life everyday and won’t own up to their part in your pain. Maybe they moved away or maybe they have since died and you can’t strike out against them in the manner in which you feel would give you the most satisfaction.

Don’t you just love it when someone tells you, “forget them…they’re not worth your time or energy;” or maybe, “it’s them, not you, get on with your life…” Yes, just get on with your life. But, they never tell you how. How do you get on with you life when you feel as though you have no life because of your pain? How do you stand up for yourself in a world where no one seems to really understand?

Family and friends are good to have around but we’ve got to be realistic when it comes to the influence that people have in our lives. If we are with people who are mentally or physically abusive to us or we feel powerless in an environment where others are being abused, it cannot be good to be there. Often we seek escape. Sometimes we escape by leaving and often carry guilt if we left someone behind who was vulnerable to abuse. But hey, we got out, right? Sometimes we escape with alcohol, drugs and even to others, or lifestyles that are just as damaging even if alcohol and drugs are not involved. Sometimes, some of us escape to death. We often seek love–in all the wrong places. Sometimes we seek help, most often from other people who may or may not be able to step in, provide sound advice or provide us some other form of assistance; sometimes we seek law enforcement aid, groups, or self-help guides; and then, some of us finally seek God.

Yes, God–often the last resort but the One with the most to offer. The One who gave His only begotten Son so, if we believe in Him that was innocent, who was crucified to death, overcame death and arose after three days in a glorified body and ascended to be at the right hand of the Heavenly Father until a time that the Father declares and who will return to take the believers, first the dead in Christ and second those who are alive in Christ and will live eternity in Heaven with Him. (see John 3:16)

If we sincerely seek our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus with a true and humble heart, and as the Apostle Paul may have said, trust Him with all our έντερο (gut), then we shall be forgiven of all of our sins because Jesus, (okay here’s the difficult part to wrap our minds around) Jesus, took every sin, every bad feeling, everything that could ever possibly happen to us that would keep us unholy and not able to even be looked at by God the Father, He took it all upon Himself for each and everyone of us. What?!! I know, right? So there is actually nothing that He doesn’t understand. Because, as God, He is the only One who can actually hold the weight of it all. Therefore, when we give up our pain(s) to Him, He truly understands our individual pain(s). And, by forgiving us of our sins He makes it possible for us to forgive others who have wronged us.

The two main commandments that God has given us that are most important are: Matthew 22: 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Forgiveness toward others who have hurt or wronged us in some way does not come easy but often, forgiveness is not always about releasing the other person, especially when sometimes that person is not around to know that we have forgiven them. Forgiveness is really about freeing ourselves. When someone tells us to, “just forget about them…” that’s kind of hard to do if we haven’t forgiven them because the memory of the pain is still eating at us. Forgiveness is hard but so is living with the hurt and anger the eats away at our insides, our lives and the innocents around us. Be free neighbors, be free.

My fellow Christians and non-believers alike, I have a special prayer request for all who desire the Lord’s hand in our lives daily, throughout our nation and throughout the world as a whole.

So much is going on in this world today from apathy and corruption to hatred, murder and terrorism. Many of us state that we’re tired of it and we want someone to do something about it. I agree but I believe that “someone” is each one and all of us.

I believe that we as a nation of peoples and citizens of the world need to take action and conduct a time of adjoined prayer.

I am asking everyone to set aside 9:00 pm (1800) (where ever you happen to be in this world at your 9:00 pm (1800), where many people will be praying at one time for a 24-hour period) for a few minutes of prayer in which, we start with acknowledgement and praise to the Lord, our sovereign God, creator of everything from just His spoken word; let us give thanks to him for His creation and His sacrifice of His Son, Christ Jesus as payment for the sins of all people; thanks to him for His grace and forgiveness for whoever believes in the sacrifice of Jesus, that he died and was resurrected, conquering even death, and that we accept this gift from Him with a humble heart; let us ask for our own forgiveness and for Him to tenderize our hearts to forgive others that we know or believe have done us wrong; let us pray for a resolution and true unity of our families, communities and nations; let us pray for God’s will to be done by all and that He bring us the return of Christ Jesus, Sovereign Ruler, King of Kings and King of Glory sooner rather than later. Let us pray that He ends the suffering of our children.

You will not be alone–If you are a single person, your prayers will be adjoined by the Holy Spirit to the families, friends, groups and other peoples throughout the world as part of one voice, one prayer to the One True God.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

I will speak to as many people as I can and pray daily over the next 40 days for the Lord to open the hearts and minds of as many people that are willing. You are welcome to join me in these daily prayers, as well.

Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.

If you are willing, forward, copy and paste, transfer, speak to your family and friends and ask others to join in a worldwide prayer for the defeat over evil in our individual lives so that we may make a true Spiritual difference in our individual worlds.

For those of you who say that you do not believe, now…get a head start while there is still time for there will come a day when:

Your pathology result came back normal – just a benign seborrheic keratosis.

Good news! All test results are back. My cholesterol and triglycerides are still a little elevated but nothing that can’t be worked out through eating properly and getting back into my exercise program. Three polyps found in the colonoscopy — removed. Next one is 5 years away. Physical therapy and exercise have made it easier to operate my neck and shoulder with little or no pain.

Being olderly is a double-edged sword. I’m thankful that I’m relatively wiser than I was in my youth and my decisions are more often than not, much better for a positive outcome with more desirable results. On the other hand, the body just doesn’t respond like it used to…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Though heavier than I should be, I am ever thankful that I can still get around well. Arthritis has a way of taking some things away, like working with my hands and my wife’s personal favorite, giving her a neck massage. However, with a few modifications, I can still do many things around the house and in the yard…it just may take a bit longer.

Taking care of ourselves is more than just eating salads and walking around the neighborhood. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t really like salads? I’d rather eat cake; and cookies; and doughnuts; and cereal… I haven’t been in Gold’s Gym down the street from my house–I’m not sure what I’ll find there but if it’s the same as when I was younger, I wouldn’t care for the aroma. I’ve been to the YMCA — a nice place to visit but it wasn’t really, you know, me– a bunch of people of varying ages in funny clothes running on treadmills and lifting weights while watching television. I can do that at home. Besides, I like doing push ups and crunches where our furry kids can participate by licking my face to encourage me.

(Insert mental note here:) As an olderly guy, I don’t like someone telling me what I should and should not eat. I’m a grown man…if I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for supper, I’m gonna eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for supper– thanks, Earl. Apple jelly.

There are a great deal of normal foods that I don’t care for, such as, barbecue ribs, potato salad, macaroni salad to name a few. Since I left home almost 40 years ago, I have not eaten liver and onions, nor have I eaten okra; and, I don’t like grits. I shouldn’t have to eat them if I don’t want to. So, there.

I have the coolest wife. When anyone asks her, “What’s wrong with him?” She just smiles and says, “I’m not really sure but I know he doesn’t like mayonnaise.” Now, she buys smaller pizza. I still get four slices but they’re not as big. 😉

Yes, we must do more for ourselves than eat, drink, exercise and be merry. I am truly blessed in everyday life. I work daily to strengthen the Lord’s Spirit in my life, I have a wonderful wife to spend the remainder of my days; I have a job; sometimes I paint pictures or write stories as a creative outlet; occasionally, I clean in the garage; I help others when I can or am led to by the Spirit; I spend time with family, friends and other people even if it is just a phone call; and when I can, I go fishin’. Going fishin’ is different than fishing. Going fishin’ is special time I spend with God. During that quiet time, He allows me some insight on my feelings, beliefs and the people and events in my life. I get time to meditate and listen to His Spirit so that I may be better equipped to go through whatever it is I must endure. Often, I see small things as big things and big things as insignificant. His Word and Consultation balance me. The olderly I get, the more balanced I’m becoming regardless of the number on the scales. Sometimes, I actually catch fish.

Make some personal time with the Lord, our God, our Savior for yourself, as well as for others in your life. You don’t have to be knee-to-chin deep in you know what to call on Him. He is always there waiting for us to call His name. Put Him first in your life and let yourself be amazed. I recommend it.

Like this:

(Disclaimer: I’m not a stock broker, nor am I a professional or Certified Financial Planner. This post is based on my personal opinion and not intended to be considered by anyone sane or not, as financial advice; or characterization of anyone in the financial industry. If you think this is about you, it’s all in your head.)

My wife is interested in her retirement account because of the stock market “correction” of the past week. Not wanting to be the Mr. Know-It-All guy that I usually think I am, I called the Retirement Planning guy at the bank and left a message with the bank teller asking for him to contact my wife to tell her how he is going to keep her from losing a lot of money in her account. He calls her but didn’t get her. He left a voicemail stating that “he’s” not worried about the current downturn and that she shouldn’t worry because her account is not exposed to the Asian stocks…and, besides, she’s only lost about 4%.

Her account is not exposed to Asian stocks but according to my calculator with today’s end-of-day losses, she has lost 8% in the past several days. Has nothing to do with Asian stocks — it is a panic sell off disguised as a correction.

When the time is right, we will re-evaluate her IRA, and I think, the Retirement Planning guy, too.

Folks, let us not panic during these sell offs, it happens. In the same consideration, don’t fall for a broker who says, “don’t worry, it will come back.” Yeah? You think maybe before we retire?

Be concerned…it’s not his money, yet.

I’m just sayin’

Jay 😮

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Wow! I feel like I’ve been away for eons yet, it has only been a week. I have been busy my friends.

As many of you know, my former assistant, Brittany, moved on to a new position with the company. I’ve heard some great things about her performance from her current manager. 😀

To the busy part. I’ve been working six days a week during the busiest part of the month while in search of a new assistant. This evolution has been the most frustrating.

I have read through over seventy resumes–that’s 70+ in 4 days. After the first 10, I found someone that I thought was good for the job. She went through an interview with me and my area manager a couple of days later. She was excited and said that nothing would prevent her from doing the job. She past the initial background check and I needed her to come in to complete the hiring process. No response to my phone messages for two days. I located her on FB and sent a message asking if she was coming in. She responded that she had too much going on. Wha? Back to square one.

Since then I’ve been bombarded with resumes. Most of the resumes list skills that have nothing to do with the job posted. I was quite specific. The job is administrative, customer service, must be able to learn and operate required software…and, it is only 12 hours per week – 7 hours on Saturdays + 5 hours during the week with an occasional 29 hours per week when covering for me on certain holidays, vacation or sick days. It is not manufacturing, phlebotomy, nurse’s aide, legal- or law-related; and it is not full time.

I started to get suspicious. When I called some of the applicants, I asked them if they had read the job posting. Most said no. So, you have no idea what you’re actually applying for… I thanked them for their time and recommended that in the future, they read the job postings in order not to waste time of the person doing the hiring. If they know in advance that they will not want the job then perhaps they will not apply for it.

I realize that people need jobs but going through resumes that have no direct correlation with the job applied for is an alternate time hack. I don’t want someone who is just trying to bide their time for a few weeks and then leave for “the real job” they wanted in the first place. I want someone who is looking for part time work and can do the job as necessary. Simple.

Of the persons that did read the posting I have three good candidates who are coming in to interview this afternoon.

In my world integrity is important. I need to know that the person I’m dealing with is genuine. Otherwise, we’ve started a relationship that may not, probably will not, be natural and lasting. Everyone does not always get along well but if you’re working with someone, for someone or supervise someone it is always beneficial to the environment if people do get along.

A person with an AA, AS, a BA or MBA, et cetera, can do this job but so can someone with a HS diploma or GED. It’s not necessarily about the education. It is about ability. The ability to learn, do and deal with people in general but a great customer service attitude will win every time. Understand that in the storage business, as in most other customer contact-related businesses, you are the company representative who is providing a service to fulfill a customer need. It’s not about me and it’s not about you. It’s about the company that you work for and it’s about the customers that you serve.

Disclaimer: The following is an opinion diatribe…read at your own interest.

Wha?

If bald is beautiful, why is hair restoration so important?

Vagueness seems to be common place in our society. Why?

Political Correctness, not wanting to hurt others’ feelings, personal and mental sensitivity; not being able to see past one side of a situation or object; or perhaps, we lack the ability to express or describe something for fear of all those things. Moreover, I think the answer is actually within us, personally, because we’re afraid. Yes, afraid of how we will be perceived.

Take the blunt person. How many times have we complained that person is a bully, contrary, argumentative or that they’re just a(n) (smart)ass? We often hear that he or she is just mean, not to mention the vulgarities used to describe them. Do we ever take into consideration of what they are telling us, regardless of how it is delivered?

Then there is the meek person, the person who doesn’t make themselves clear because they are afraid of how they will be perceived. And then, we call them weak, timid, shy and often make fun of them or just dismiss their views altogether.

How about the uninformed person? They speak to be involved even though they do not have a grasp of the facts of a situation, person or object. We are quick to describe them as a village idiot and also ignore them.

The gamers, liars, performers, politicians…just to single out a few, all bring up negative views in our minds but yet, we are reluctant to describe them as they truly are [perceived].

Think about how many times we denounce violent behavior but do nothing to stop it because the solution often requires, yes, violence. How can we coexist with people who literally want to kill us?

Our personal standards of what is right and wrong, our own filters and barriers, our fears, fears of rejections, retaliation, or of being ostracized, often dictate how we describe the world around us.

I enjoy when people like me but I don’t care if they do. I really mean it. I am somewhat of an extrovert because my life has ran the course from here to there, so many “new” environments and places—personally as well as employment. I wasn’t raised to be meek but I have learned to tone down my bluntness; and I am now more reluctant to fight at the drop of a word—argue maybe but not fight.

In the midst of the destruction of our society, as we have known it, dialogue is so beneficial. However, when one group seems to have all the answers, for everyone regardless of our differences, no matter which side of the situation we are on, we will find the enslaved and oppressed on the other side. I do not say this about a particular group of peoples based on color, ethnicity or religion. I say this based on a free people of this country, the United States of America, which for at least the past decade has been anything but united.

It is ideology that is changing our way of life and regardless of the ambiguity of our situation, it appears ambivalence is a driving force. One size does not fit all, in spite of what “they” tell us.

No, violence is often not the answer but when survival is at stake, sometime we must defend ourselves. But what will be the reasons behind our fight? Will it be so that we can have more and someone else have less? Will it be so that we can be recognized for ourselves, our individual ways of life(styles)? Will it be for our religious freedoms and whether ours will be the dominate one? Will it be for our children, so that if there is a future, it will be a good and prosperous time for them?

Or, will it be for our freedom? Freedom from tyranny brought on by those that seemingly know what is better for us as a “society” regardless of what is better for us as individuals of a nation. Regardless of what we really want?

I would hope that we cast our ambivalence aside and make a stand for our individual freedom over a society of leeches. When someone receives, it has to come from somewhere. Are we as a hard-working people going to let them take it (whatever the “it” is) from us without some kind of stand? I would hope not.

Open dialogue is good – intimidation is not. Do not allow yourselves to be intimidated anymore. Speak up before they tell you your speech is no longer free. Don’t be vague, tell us how you really feel about something. Ambiguity may be killing you.

Teen cancer survivor/ Advocate/Researcher in the Psychology of cancer in childhood for KidsCan/PhD Researcher/ Childhood, teenage and young adult cancer campaigner/CYP@Salford member/Manchester Cancer and MacMillan Volunteer/ Late Effects from cancer and Chemotherapy/ Dog lover and animal lover/ Commited girlfriend/ Photographer/ Lover of the night sky and all things beautiful

Welcome To Sarah's Attic Of Treasures. This is a special place where I share what is important to me. What I hope will bring a smile to your face. I am a Child Of God. A Wife. I am Also an Angel Mom. I share what makes me happy. Things I need to do. I share Christian Blogs and Bible Studies constantly. Making My Home A Haven is important to me. So I will have a number of posts about housewives and homemaking. Recipes and food. Gardening. This is a treasure chest of goodies. So take a seat. Have a glass of tea and enjoy. You will learn all about who I am and Our Neck Of The Woods.

Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.